This invention relates to a slidably lockable bracket and specifically to a bracket adapted for slidably and lockably suspending a pulley from the top of a door frame.
Obtaining adequate physical exercise while away from a gym or health club presents difficulties to those interested in maintaining their physical condition and fitness. Accordingly, many people interested in physical fitness wish to exercise at home. However, home exercising equipment is often costly, conspicuous, bulky and difficult to set up and store.
Many attempts have been made to create inexpensive and compact exercising equipment that can be easily and safely used at home but that can be set up and stored quickly and easily. Many of these home exercise devices have used a pulley with its axis of rotation in a horizontal position that is suspended from an elevated location so that a user can suspend weights from one end of a rope which goes through the pulley and then use the other end of the rope for exercise.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,907 to Zito discloses clips for engagement over the upper edge of a door and suspending a pulley from flanges at the end of each of the clips.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,084 to Gustafson discloses a U shaped bracket adapted to fit over the top edge of a door carrying an outwardly and upwardly projecting pole to which a pulley is attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,308 to Applegate discloses a U shaped frame which can be removably secured to the upper edge of a door and a selectively fillable bag attached to a cable that guides over the upper end of the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,002 to Masters discloses a golf swing exercise device having a horizontal base to which is secured door hooks.
However, the foregoing require the use of brackets or other mounting means that are conspicuous and inconvenient to mount and dismount because the brackets must be placed over the top of a door. Thus, there is a need for a bracket that can suspend a pulley or other attachment from the top of a door frame with its axis of rotation in a horizontal position, yet that can allow quick and easy mounting and dismounting of the pulley.
The pulley or other attachment also must be positively lockable because it will be used to suspend weights and the inability to lock the pulley in place could present a safety hazard. Further, because the top of a door frame is a relatively inconvenient location, the pulley should be easily lockable without exerting substantial effort. Accordingly, such a bracket should allow mounting, locking, releasing and removing of the pulley with minimum vertical movement. This requires that these functions be capable of accomplishment by sliding the pulley horizontally.
Several references disclose slidable brackets that can be adapted to suspend a pulley.
U.S. Pat. No. 926,193 to Johnson discloses a pulley attached to a base having channels. A shell or casing defines a slot having guide flanges that engage with the channels to slidably retain the pulley.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,716 to Welch discloses a furniture fastener comprising a clip with a raised central portion having an inclined slot with an internal locking flange extending at an upwards angle toward the raised central portion and terminating below the slot.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,621,357 to Stuman discloses a handle mounting means comprising keyhole slots having an elongated narrow portion in communication with an enlarged circular portion so that the head of a screw may be inserted through the enlarged portion of the keyhole and the shank of the screw may be received in the narrow portion of the keyhole slot. The screws are then slid from the enlarged portion, over a leaf spring and then locked into position after passing over the central portion of the leaf spring.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,996 to Churchill discloses a coat hook and attachment having a base with a cupped portion to provide an engagement depression to engage the head of a stud.
U.S. Pat. No. 435,625 to Goodyear discloses a hanger for a clothes line mounted on a bolt.
None of the references teaches the use of a bracket that allows a pulley or other attachment to be easily mounted, locked, released and removed primarily by sliding in a horizontal direction.
Johnson does not appear to provide a locking means, and the locking mechanisms of Welch and Stuman would not allow the pulley or other attachment to be easily and quickly released and dismounted. Churchill provides a slidable coat hook, but requires that an opening be provided in a side perpendicular to the slot so that the stud may enter into the slot. This would weaken the apparatus if it were subjected to forces perpendicular to the direction of the slot and also would require that the stud entry side have an aperture large enough for the head of the stud to pass through.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a bracket adapted for suspending a pulley or other attachment from the top of a door frame and slidably locking the pulley in place.
It is another object of this invention to provide a bracket that allows a pulley or other attachment to be easily, quickly and positively locked in position, yet that also allows the pulley to be easily and quickly released and removed.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a bracket that will be relatively inconspicous and therefore can be left permanently installed.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide such a bracket that is of simple construction and inexpensive manufacture.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a bracket that is strong enough to be able to function in a weight lifting exercise apparatus.